Princess in a Tower
by KanasuKarasu
Summary: A curious, adventurous girl goes out on a limb when she answers an online add requesting a beta tester for a dating sim. She soon finds herself tangled in a complicated web involving ingenious hackers, a corrupt politician, and an insidious organization known only as Mint Eye...
1. Game On

_How had it come to this?_

Alaura asked herself the question as though she didn't know exactly how and where she had screwed up. Eight days ago, she had answered a personal add posted online. The add requested a beta tester for a new game, a dating sim made to be played on the phone. The add appeared harmless enough at first glance, but Alaura had recognized the telltale signs of something not quite bona fide. An unsolicited promise that the game developer was not some Internet creep, vagueness where more information would be required, then too many details where no explanation was necessary: all classic diversion and persuasion tactics. Alaura eagerly composed an answer to the add.

Within half an hour, she received a reply. The so-called "game developer" sent her a file to download onto her phone, choosing to communicate through his own messenger app. Very suspicious. More unsolicited promises, followed by extremely questionable requests. It was clear the man to whom she spoke was eager to have finally found a subject gullible enough to submit to his dubious instruction. Soon after her exchange with the mysterious app developer, Alaura concealed her real phone, her trusty Swiss Army knife and a well-worn Xippo lighter etched with the silhouette of a crow in the secret pocket of her outfit: a little, ruffled chiffon sundress patterned with Carolina jasmine. She prepared herself and her outfit in the hopes that she might project an air of naivety whilst simultaneously disarming any men she might encounter with a calculated portrayal of virginal charm.

In retrospect, it was a bit funny that she never suspected it would be his charm disarming her.

Mimicking the bright, wide eyes of an innocent young girl with a sheltered childhood, Alaura met a strange man (notably not the man she had spoken with over the phone) at the established rendezvous and permitted herself to be blindfolded and driven to a secret location without much inquiry. (She had to inquire a little, or else _she'd_ seem suspicious.) In addition to the blindfold, it was clear the driver was taking a circuitous route, likely in an attempt to further addle her sense of direction as they progressed. After a certain point, all she knew for certain was that they had been in the car for hours and had been going uphill for some time. When she was sure she was being taken to the most remote location imaginable so that she might be violated, murdered or both, the car slowly came to a stop and she was met with the voice of the man she'd met over the phone.

"Welcome. I've been waiting. Welcome to this wonderful place. It wouldn't have been an easy decision to come here… Thanks for trusting me."

"Unknown?"

"You knew who I was by just listening to my voice?"

Yes, it was the same voice. It was an agreeable voice indeed, soft and somewhat melodic. She could see how even the shadiest suggestions might sound agreeable in those lyrical tones. Still, she felt assured that _she_ would not fall prey to his persuasion.

Of course, that was before she saw his face.

"Yeah, it's me. Username Unknown. Didn't you think Unknown was a funny name? It was a default name because I didn't set up a username. No special meaning."

Too many details.

"My name is Ray," he said. "Thanks for coming all this way. I really want to show you around. I prepared a few things here and there while waiting for you. Oh, don't take off the mask yet. You can't take it off until you reach your room."

Alaura reluctantly lowered her hand, feeling vulnerable but determined to keep up her act. She pretended she was oblivious to the red flags.

"Here, let me help you," he spoke kindly, taking her hand gently in his and guiding her out of the vehicle. She stumbled, a completely unintentional blunder, making her wonder, for the first time, whether she might be in over her head. The man who called himself Ray caught her in his arms and steadied her, and she could feel her face burn with embarrassment as he led her to the next undisclosed location.

"You have no idea what a relief it was when you said you'd help," he spoke as he ushered her through a door and along the halls of a large building she could not see. "I'm so glad it worked out. You'll be a big help."

"What were you going to do if I said no?" she said, keeping her tone playfully curious.

"Ah, well… I don't want to think about it," he said. "I suppose we could have delayed the game release date. On the other hand, it could have just been a disaster. Who knows? But you said yes, so we don't have to worry about that!" At last, he released her hand. "We're here! Let me take that off…" She felt his hands now reaching around to the back of her head, deftly untying the blindfold obscuring her vision, and she had to suppress a gasp.

He was… beautiful. It occurred to her that it was an odd word to describe a man, but no other word seemed appropriate. The man before her had soft white hair with pink tips, bringing to mind the Jane Magnolia blossoms she associated with her hometown. In fact, much of his appearance projected a delicately lovely quality akin to the exquisite beauty of a flower. Even his eyes, an ethereal shade of cyan, conjured images of forget-me-nots and blue asters. Alaura had to blink several times to dispel her initial astonishment. Fortunately, Ray did not seem to notice her discomposure.

"Hi!" he said excitedly. "First time seeing each other face-to-face, isn't it?"

"Hello…" she said. "Nice to meet you." With some difficulty, she made other observations. Overall, he was on the smallish side. Alaura herself stood at about five-foot, three-inches tall, and he couldn't have been more than four inches taller than she. He was lean, not muscular, adding to his effeminate appearance, and his clothing choices… The first word Alaura would use to describe them would be… "Victorian." He wore a long fuchsia coat trimmed with gold over a double-breasted vest, a white dress shirt and an impressive ruffle cravat. In keeping with his floral appearance, he also wore a decorative blue rose in his lapel to round out the ensemble.

"Yeah, it feels great to talk to you in person," he said, more charming than ever now that she could see the sincerity in his eyes. "Thank you again for taking a chance on me and coming here." He gestured around the area. "This is your room. I've tried my best preparing all this…" For the first time, she took in her surroundings. They stood together in what looked a lot like a fancy hotel suite with a rosy pink and gold color scheme, complete with a sitting area and a bed that looked far more comfortable than the one in the little apartment she'd left that morning. "But please, let me know if there's anything else you need. And you're free to go wherever you like, as long as it's on this floor. If you want to go anyplace else, you'll have to ask me first. That's because… Ah, I don't have to explain, right?"

"Because it's forbidden!" Alaura said dramatically, as if this was the most fun an exciting circumstance she had ever found herself in. "I feel like I'm in a fairytale, or something!"

A smile spread across Ray's face and Alaura's heart fluttered in spite of herself.

"I'm glad you think of it that way," said Ray. "I know it could be frustrating, but these precautions are more for your safety than anything." He walked over to the sitting area and indicated one of the pink upholstered chairs. "Would you care to sit?"

Alaura tentatively approached him and sat, suddenly feeling very much like a princess in a fairytale. Of course, whether this fairytale was more Beauty and the Beast or Bluebeard, only time would tell…

Ray took a seat across from her. "I still have time before I have to get back to work," he said. "Allow me to explain a bit about the game."

Ray proceeded to describe the premise of the game. She was to play the part of an outsider who mysteriously gained access to a private messenger app developed by an organization known as "R.F.A.," or "Rika's Fundraising Association." Her objective would be to convince potential guests to attend an elegant fundraising party whilst romancing the NPC of her choice. He explained that the NPCs in the game would initially be suspicious of her, and emphasized that she must not reveal anything about her location or him, the "hacker" who granted her access to the R.F.A. messenger.

"What happens if I tell them the truth?" Alaura asked.

"Game… over?" answered Ray, somewhat ominously. "I know it's silly, but I'd be pretty disappointed if you get a game over right away, so please don't tell them any of that stuff. Remember, how you got the app, your location and all that, it should be kept secret. Oh yeah, and definitely don't tell them that they're NPCs."

"Of course not," said Alaura. "That's just rude."

Ray grinned at her joke and she felt warmth creep into her cheeks.

"I know you're joking," he said, "but I made them to be very realistic. I'm actually worried I might have made them _too_ realistic. Maybe I made it too difficult, but you should be okay as long as you keep those details secret. Oh, and if they don't accept you into the association easily, tell them that Rika sent you to hold the party."

"Who's Rika?"

"She's another character within the game. The NPCs will tell you more about her as the story progresses.

"Do you think you have a pretty good idea of what to do now? Would you like me to download it onto your phone?"

Alaura nodded, handing over what he did not know was her backup phone. He began the download, his eyes flickering back and forth between the screen and her face.

"I expected you to be a foreigner," he commented, "because of your name and your accent. But I didn't expect you to be so… gorgeous."

Alaura didn't have to feign the bashful expression she made, turning her gaze downward to avoid his eyes. Surely this flattery was little more than a means to a mysterious end and not an honest compliment. It's not that she thought herself unattractive. With her large, kind eyes and diminutive yet curvaceous frame, she knew she possessed a very girlish appeal, but she'd never consider herself to be in the same league as Ray.

"I'm sorry," said Ray. "I didn't intend to make you uncomfortable."

"Oh, you didn't!" Alaura replied quickly. "I'm embarrassed because I was thinking something similar… about you."

"Me?" said Ray, looking genuinely surprised. "I'm not anything special. Anyway, here's your phone back." He handed it back to her, and his gloved fingers brushed hers, causing his face to turn a delicate shade of pink. He withdrew his hand hastily.

"Um… How long will I be staying here?" asked Alaura.

"I don't know an exact date," he answered. "You'll have to stay here at least until the test is over. If you end up wanting to stay longer, you're welcome to. Will that be a problem?"

She shook her head. Ray looked relieved.

"That's good. Once more, before I go… keep the secrets. Please don't try to get a game over. Promise me that, please?"

Alaura hesitated. His request was odd. Even he must know how odd he sounded?

"Um… They're really NPCs, right?" she asked.

"No doubt," said Ray. "It'll be obvious once you realize they're not nearly as interesting as me."

He was flirting with her again, and it was working. She needed to get a grip.

A few minutes later, Ray had left Alaura alone in the fancy room. Once he had departed, Alaura inspected the room as thoroughly as she could without seeming too shrewd to anyone who might have an electronic eye on her. Once she determined that there were no detectable cameras, Alaura withdrew her primary phone, her knife and her lighter from the inside of her flimsy dress. Using her knife, she cut a hole in the side of her mattress nearest the windows. She then stowed her contraband inside the gash.

She had taken a huge risk to get there, and she was prepared to make many more. She hadn't known what exactly to anticipate, but she was savvy enough to anticipate danger.

Falling in love was something she had not anticipated.


	2. Secret Garden

She was a bit impulsive. Everyone who knew Alaura knew that much, and many of those people thought she was lacking in good sense as well. She didn't exactly have a wealth of evidence with which to argue the contrary, but she never devoted time to worrying about that until she was in the thick of her latest misadventure. Indeed, that's how she found herself in South Korea following her eighteenth birthday without knowing a lick of the language. Fortunately, her spontaneity happened to be paired with exceptional adaptability, and she learned quickly. After some time, she even managed to land a job as a low-level assistant at a newspaper, which became the fuel of her most recent ambition: to attain a career as an investigative journalist.

She realized it was a lofty goal for anyone, particularly someone of her position. She knew that if she were to even have a chance, she would have to find a story and pursue it relentlessly. She worked alone, for the most part. Though Alaura generally liked people and knew how to be sociable when the occasion called for it, she was an introvert at heart. She spent hours awake every night, scouring local news and tabloid websites, take special care to examine and re-examine the most innocuous stories. She was not disappointed. Eventually she began to notice an unusual pattern centered around a small charity organization known as "Rika's Fundraising Association." Following the alleged suicide of the founding member, the young woman called "Rika," a handful of the most affluent guests of the R.F.A.'s previous parties began exhibiting strange behaviors. Nothing drastic, of course… For the most part, they simply became reclusive, but two of them were caught on record making odd remarks about "paradise." Was this simply due to the fact that they were grief-stricken over the sudden and tragic loss of a young humanitarian? Or was there something more going on beneath the surface?

It wasn't much to go on, but it was a start. Alaura began researching this matter in earnest, gathering all the information she could find about the R.F.A., its guests, its members and, particularly, Rika herself. By asking the right people the right questions here and there, she found herself directed toward an add with a tenuous connection to one of the wealthy former guests, an Internet mogul who had gone off the grid just before Rika's death. That is, until, he pinned a certain add to the front page of one of his lesser-known Internet forum websites.

One look at the post and Alaura knew there was a story waiting to be uncovered.

It didn't take her long to deduce that what she had infiltrated was some sort of cult. It had to be a cult, right? With all the talk of "paradise" and the way Ray spoke of his work and his unseen superior, what else could it be? The real question was, why was a cult so keen on collecting the secrets of a tiny, inactive charity organization? Was there an even deeper scandal at play? A personal vendetta, perhaps?

It also didn't take long for Alaura to start feeling sorry for Ray. Despite his initial deception, he seemed quite harmless, _kind,_ even… Alaura had the distinct impression that he was being manipulated.

As she became closer to Ray and the members of the R.F.A., she started to doubt whether she had the stomach to be a real journalist. She didn't like lying to them, any of them. Even though she knew they were lying to her too, she _liked_ them, especially _him…_

The strength of her feelings for him caught her completely off-guard. She had only know him for a few days, and she could honestly say that, at the age of twenty, she had never fallen in love before.

 _Love?_ That was a comical thought. Could one even fall in love under such circumstances? He didn't know the real her, and he made a point of reminding her that she didn't know the real him.

But what else could it have been? After a certain point, she had to acknowledge that her decisions were no longer dictated by what served her own well-being. It was all for him. That's why she stayed, even after Ray's… change. She could see his pain more clearly than anyone, because she understood the agony of helplessness. Only this time, she wasn't helpless. She was in a unique position to do something for someone she cared about, and she couldn't bring herself to leave. Not at first, anyway…

That first day undercover was thrilling. Alaura did as Ray instructed, telling the wary R.F.A. members that she simply couldn't reveal where she was or how she had accessed their private messenger. She knew from the start that these were no NPCs, that they were real members of a real organization, but she tried to think of it as a game all the same. She rightly suspected that her "gameplay" was being monitored, and she wanted to give a good performance. She even picked a "character" to pursue, and favored the perpetually overworked Jaehee Kang whenever the opportunity presented itself.

They were all intriguing, though. The narcissistic actor, the young company director, the secretive photographer, the troubled college student and the genius hacker… She had to admit, they would all make great characters in a romance game or a drama, and she felt an article about this colorful group practically wrote itself.

She messaged Ray to request a pen and paper under the pretense of writing notes and observations about the "game" and how to improve it. He responded quickly, and she thought he seemed glad for an excuse to see her once more.

"Will this work?" he asked, handing her the materials.

"Yes! Actually, this is my favorite kind of pen."

"Ah, I like it too! It's the only kind I ever get."

A shy silence fell between them. Not an uncomfortable one, by any means, but the kind between two people who are fond of each other.

"You… Do you do a lot of writing?" Ray asked.

"I do," she said. "I like to write all kinds of things. It's a hobby of mine. Um, do you have any hobbies?"

"Not so much," he replied. "I mean, there is maybe one thing…"

"Tell me!"

"Well… I have some interest in gardening."

"So you grow flowers and stuff?" asked Alaura, smiling to herself as she recalled her first impression of Ray.

Ray nodded. "Yes, I've grown a variety of flowers."

"I tried gardening once. My little sister told me I would never have the attention span for it, so I tried it, out of stubbornness more than anything else. Turns out she was right."

"You have a sister?"

"Two, actually. But they live quite far away. What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

"I…" Ray started, and his eyes seem to flicker out of focus. "No."

"Oh…"

"It must be nice," said Ray. "I'm sorry, but I have to get going. I have a few things I need to finish."

"Of course," said Alaura, realizing she must have touched on a sensitive subject. "Um, Ray?"

"Yes?"

"I enjoyed talking to you."

He beamed. "So did I! I'll be back later, if you're still up."

While she waited for Ray to return in the evening, Rook spoke with the R.F.A. members. They were very curious of her indeed, particularly the distraught and grief-ridden Yoosung Kim, who seemed convinced that V was hiding something about Rika's death. Interesting…

Inspired by Ray, Alaura began a short story about a garden of sentient flowers, in which Yoosung was represented by a white lily. She knew that, in the language of flowers, white lilies meant purity and innocence, and were also deeply associated with grief. It wasn't the most elegant code, but Alaura was also making a point to write in convoluted English. She could only hope it'd be enough obfuscate any unwelcome readers.

About ten minutes into this pursuit, Alaura was interrupted by a call on her decoy device. She answered, knowing it could only be one of her new friends.

"Hello?"

"Oh, you answered right away," a man's voice replied. "Since we can't meet in person just yet, I was thinking I would officially introduce myself over the phone! My name is 707! This world's last hacker with a conscience, sometimes referred to as '707, the Hacker King!'"

"Oh, really?" Alaura said skeptically. "And just who ever calls you that?"

"I do. I just did. Didn't you hear me?"

"It doesn't count if you call yourself that!"

"Why not?" said Seven indignantly. "Anyways, Yoosung calls me that, too…"

"I'm inclined to say he doesn't count either."

"That's not fair! Of course he counts!"

"I got the impression he was a bit gullible. You're taking advantage."

"Me? Take advantage of Yoosung? I would never! And I'm telling him you called him gullible."

"Ah, don't! Have mercy, Your Highness! You're Excellency!"

"A 'Your Ingenious Majesty' wouldn't go amiss," he hinted.

"Don't push it." She heard him laugh and she grinned. "So what brings the God of Hacking to the realm of mere mortals?"

"I have come to bring peace. No, wait, that suits a peacemaker rather than a god, doesn't it? Sorry, I'm a little caught off guard. You caught me off guard. What should I say? It's my first time dealing with someone like you. So… mysterious… no, fascinating? Anyway, Miss Mysterious! I want to know your psychological state. So I have a very special psychological test for you. How about it?"

"I love those!"

"Oh, you like these kinds of things? Okay, let's see… Okay, listen and imagine. One day! Out of the blue! A person comes to you. The person asks you to test the newly released ice cream. Here's the question: What did the person look like?"

"I don't know… I wasn't paying attention to his face."

"So you just went straight for the ice cream? I'm the same way. I love ice cream. Anyway, I'll tell you the result of the test. Drum roll!" He imitated the sounds of a drumroll. "You're hungry right now. Am I right?"

"You're right! And I'm suddenly craving ice cream…" she said. "Want to hear my observations?"

"Your observations?"

"You're not the suspicious type, despite often dealing with deceptive people. And… you've already decided I'm not a bad person."

Her words were met with a long silence, then, "Am I wrong?"

"I try to be a good person, but, honestly, I'm not fully convinced that I am," Alaura admitted.

"Sounds like something a good person would say. Anyway, that's the end of the test! It's a shame that I couldn't get the answer I was hoping for, but… there's nothing I can do about that."

"What did you want to hear?"

"Oh—it's nothing! Anyway, I have a mountain of work to do! I should go. It was fun talking to you!"

"Already?" asked Alaura, failing to conceal her disappointment.

"We can talk again later! Well then, bye!"

Alaura stayed on the phone long enough to hear him hang up. Seven… He had an interesting way of talking that was both dramatic and dynamic. She wouldn't have minded talking to him a bit longer…

The test… So Seven must have have known something about her circumstances. At least, he probably knew that she had been asked to test a new product and was hoping to get some kind of description of Ray. She didn't like misleading Seven. She and he seemed similar to one another: not suspicious, but shrewd. He was a member of the R.F.A., and therefore involved in something dubious. She had only met him that day. She hadn't even seen his face. Still, she had the same impression of him as he of her. Despite all the reasons she had to suspect him, she couldn't think of him as a bad person. She admired him. She decided to make him a red carnation.

It was quite late when Ray knocked on Alaura's door that evening. He seemed very pleased when she told him she had been looking forward to his visit. When he asked her what she thought of the game, she consulted her "notes."

"I tried to be critical," said Alaura. "I want to give you useful feedback, but the truth is, I love it! I don't know how you made such an intricate game, but it's like talking to real people!"

"I'm so flattered to hear you say so," Ray said. "But I hope they're not too realistic. I wouldn't want to make the game too complicated, or for you to be taken in by the illusion."

"Isn't that the point of any good story or game? To lose yourself and become a part of it?"

"Normally it would be, but…" His eyes flickered toward her as a gentle pink tinged his cheeks. "I guess I don't want you to forget that I'm the only real person. Is it weird of me to be jealous of my own characters?"

 _Only a little,_ Alaura thought privately, somewhat disturbed by his determination to dehumanize the R.F.A. members.

"I don't think you need to worry about that," she said. "You're a very memorable person."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Absolutely!"

"I'm glad. Oh, I meant to ask, which character is your favorite?"

"Seven," Alaura answered without thinking and then silently cursed herself. She had meant to pick Jaehee, since she was the one Alaura was pretending to pursue. Whoops.

"Oh… Him…" said Ray, suddenly stony-faced. "I'd describe him as a bunch of contradictions. For instance, you might think he's lighthearted or funny, but that's a façade. He's actually more devious and corrupt than you could imagine." Ray seemed to grow more agitated as he spoke, clenching and unclenching his fists where they rest on his knees. "You shouldn't choose him. Never. You'll end up getting hurt! And if you're hurt… I'll be sad, too… So just leave that character out of your to-pursue list."

Alaura resisted the urge to scoot further along the sofa, away from Ray. He absolutely had some personal issue with Seven.

"You know, these characters surprise even me with the way they turned out, even though I made all five of them," Ray continued, unaware of Alaura's discomfort. "I may have made them too flawed… I'll make note of your impressions and make the game more fun. Thank you so much for your feedback! Anything else you want to know?"

"Um… There is, but not about the game…" said Alaura. "I want to know more about you, Ray."

"About me? I've never talked much about me… Well, I guess that's because no one ever asks… For now, all you really need to know is that I'm the developer of this app! But I did also want to say that I feel really good about you being here, Alaura. Maybe it's melodramatic, but you being here, playing my game… it's like a dream come true for me. And I'm pretty happy that your interested in me too. Really, meeting you might be the best thing that's ever happened to me."

That caught her off guard. Obviously it was meant to be a compliment, but it was a little alarming, in a few ways… She felt pressured, seeing as he already had such a lofty opinion of her. If she hadn't already felt ensnared by her current circumstances, this statement made it virtually impossible for her to walk away. Aside from that, this did not seem like a tactic on his behalf. As far as she could tell, he was being completely honest. And, if it was the truth, it was an utterly heartbreaking truth, wasn't it?

"I'll do my best," said Alaura.


	3. Red Carnation

Why was the party so important? Alaura had a bad feeling about it the more she interacted with Ray and the RFA. She could tell that she was being used to gather intel on the organization. Occasionally Ray would appear in the app for only Alaura to see, so she had to assume that he was able to access the conversations she had with the members. Ray instructed her not to mention his appearances to any of them, and she complied, but… how could she not worry what she might be an accessory to? She roamed about the building as much as she dared, first exploring her floor and then tentatively venturing beyond, keeping an eye out for cameras or the sentries assigned to prevent exactly what she was attempting.

They called themselves "believers," lending credence to Alaura's theory that she was dealing with a cult of some kind. Surely they had been instructed to not use this language in proximity to her, but she was stealthy, and they were not particularly smooth. More than once she caught snippets of their private conversations. She heard mentions of a so-called "savior" as well, a title that inspired great disquiet in Alaura.

So it was one person calling the shots… From what she gathered, it seemed this person was rarely seen, except during certain important "ceremonies."

Alaura ran through her numerous theories, the most disturbing of which considered the possibility of a terrorist attack on the RFA's charity gala. It was not an outrageous theory. If Jumin's father were to attend the party, an attack could kill the President of possibly the largest corporation in South Korea. But perhaps he was not the target at all. Indeed, the intended target could be any one of their distinguished guests, the guests _she_ was in charge of persuading.

She could not bear to be responsible for the death of any innocent person. She had to figure out what was really going on at this bizarre collective, but she needed to be careful about when to act, or she would miss any opportunity she might have to intervene.

But it was not just Ray and this savior who had secrets. V clearly had a few secrets of his own. It was he who had deemed her trustworthy, as though he knew how she had ended up among them. But what exactly did he know? Did he have some connection to this place?

A few days in, Alaura was in a chat room with Seven and Jaehee. Seven was telling her that he was on a dangerous assignment for work. He mentioned before that he worked as a hacker for an agency, but Alaura knew little more than that. He was very secretive about his work, by necessity. However nonchalant he sounded whenever he commented on the perilousness of his job, Alaura could tell that he was only partly joking, if at all.

In the same chat, Seven posted a photo of himself, the first one he had posted since Alaura joined their ranks. She saved it with the urgency of Jaehee saving a selfie of Zen. The photo perturbed Jaehee for some reason, but it was really a very cute picture of Seven dressed as a fairy. It made Alaura smile just looking at it.

It was after Seven had logged off and Alaura consulted the photo again in the midst of her note-taking that she was struck by the resemblance between Seven and Ray. In a big way, they looked quite different. Where Ray had a soft, lovely aura, Seven projected a vibrancy unlike any Alaura had ever encountered. And yes, he was handsome. Very, very handsome. Alaura blushed and distracted herself by pulling up a photo of Ray in the garden outside to compare.

Switching between the photos, the likeness was unmistakable. Were they related? Brothers, perhaps? If so, how had Ray come to despise his own kin so much?

From then on, Alaura saved every one of Seven's photos, examining them closely, searching his face as though hoping it might yield what Seven himself would not. Her intuition told her that Seven was only a small piece of this puzzle, but she couldn't help her fascination with him. She kept herself up at night with caffeine, checking the messenger so that she never missed talking to him when he was online, she called him with a greater frequency than the other members, though not as often as she really wanted, and she kept more notes on him than any other member of the RFA. If Seven was put off by her enthusiasm, he did not show it. In fact, Alaura was fairly certain she sensed a burning curiosity in him as well, and she did her best to reveal just enough about herself to keep herself anonymous while also allowing him to get to know who she really was.

It was exciting. Sometimes she begged him to stay on the phone with her as he worked, and he obliged, talking to her about whatever they decided was interesting that day. On this particular day, it was animals, which progressed toward another topic entirely…

"Mantis shrimp," said Alaura into the receiver.

" _Mantis shrimp?_ " Seven replied incredulously.

" _Hear me out!_ " she said before he could object. "I know it's not technically 'furry,' but it would make an incredible fursona. I'll draw it out for you if you don't believe me!"

"No, I believe you. I was just thinking you read my mind or something."

"There's no way you were also going to pick 'mantis shrimp' as the ideal anthropomorphized animal!"

"No, no! But I was going to pick a marine invertebrate as well!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"I was! Wanna hear it?"

"Sure."

"Flamboyant cuttlefish!"

"Flamboyant cuttlefish? Really?"

"Hey, it's no weirder than yours."

"You're not going to say it's because they cuddle, are you?"

"Give me some credit! Flamboyant cuttlefish change the color and texture of their skin to communicate. Can you imagine a sexy cuttlefish woman who is also a lightshow in and of herself?"

"That's the reason?" Alaura asked with mock disappointment. "I can do _that._ "

"Really? That might narrow my search a bit. There aren't a lot of girls around here with cuttlefish skin. Unless, of course, you're lying."

"Wish I could tell you where I am. Then you could come see for yourself."

The words were out of her mouth before she really thought about what she was saying. She essentially just invited him to explore her bare skin, didn't she? But not really. It was just a silly joke; she wasn't trying to flirt with him.

"Where are you?" he asked, his tone odd.

"I…" she paused, then decided to tell him the truth. "I want to tell you, I really do. It's just… I don't know where I am. Not really. This place, it's… far away from anything familiar to me."

"Are you alone?"

She had said too much. If Ray could listen to this conversation, there was no telling what he might do to her. She pursed her lips to prevent herself from saying any more.

"You still won't tell me," said Seven in a disappointed voice.

"I'm sorry," said Alaura. "Believe me, it's not because I don't trust you."

Seven chuckled. "You shouldn't trust me. I have no right to criticize anyone for being secretive. But this desire I have to know more about you… it feels like it goes beyond the security of the RFA or just natural curiosity. There's something about you in particular that makes me want to know everything about you."

"Then I guess I should come clean…" Alaura sighed. "I'm not actually a furry."

"Suuure."

The next day, Alaura took a simple selfie in the daylight streaming through the gigantic window in her room. She held up a sheet of paper in front of her, with a binary message for Seven, as a means to prove to him that it was really her.

Even after she took the photo, she hesitated for hours before sending it. She knew that he would not be able to determine her identity with this photo. She had no social media presence, and she never uploaded photos anywhere. No, her hesitation came from a place of insecurity. What if he thought she was plain?

In the end, she steeled herself and sent the photo directly to Seven. He didn't reply. She knew he was probably sleeping or working intensely, but her anxious imagination pushed thoughts of him seeing her picture and deciding that she was no longer worth his attention.

She occupied herself with other tasks to keep her mind off the matter. At some point, she drifted off to sleep. When the buzz of her phone woke her again, night had fallen and she was sprawled across the top of her bed, fully clothed. She picked up her phone and answered the call without looking to see who it was.

"Hello?" she said groggily.

"Oh, did I wake you?" asked Seven's voice, sounding more timid than usual. Alaura's heart fluttered.

"Only a little."

"Ah, I'm sorry. I should probably—"

"Don't go!" Alaura interrupted him a little more urgently than she meant to.

"If you call out for me so desperately like that, I don't know what to do. Um… I forgot why I called…"

"Then just talk to me a little bit. Please?"

"All right…"

There was an awkward silence, and then Alaura remembered.

"Did you get the picture I sent you? Is that why you called?"

"I did," Seven said, sounding embarrassed.

"The way you said that makes it sound like I sent you a nude, or something," said Alaura self-consciously. "It was just a regular selfie."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Were my nipples showing through my shirt, or something?"

"Ah, no! I just meant… you're so beautiful. I had no idea you were so beautiful."

Alaura felt a heat all over her body at these words. Beautiful? He thought she was beautiful? She had hoped he might say he thought she was cute or pretty, but this felt more absolute.

When she didn't say anything, Seven went on, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… uh… Oh, actually, I was wondering, did you send your picture to any of the other members?"

Alaura rolled over on her side and stared out the darkened window beside her bed. "No. I only sent it to you."

"Why just me?" he asked.

"That's because…" The answer was obvious. The words lingered on the tip of her tongue, but did she dare say them aloud? "I only care what you think, Seven. Because of how I feel about you."

Another silence stretched between them, and Alaura's heart raced fast and hard inside her.

"I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Seven replied at last.

"I have to tell you something I feel guilty about," said Alaura softly.

"What?"

"The day before yesterday, when you posted that picture of you that your maid took, I saved it… and I look at it while touching myself last night, after we talked. I came… while imagining you fucking me, Seven."

As she held her breath, she could hear his intensify. She waited for him to respond, but he didn't.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have told you that."

"No, don't be sorry," he said. "I just… There are things I shouldn't say in this situation… as well as things I really want to say."

"What do you want to say?" Alaura whispered.

"Something I shouldn't."

The sound of his breath gave him away. He wanted her. She knew he did. Why was he hesitating? Had she not made herself clear enough?

"I want you so badly," she said. "Even the sound of your voice makes me wet."

"Alaura…"

Fire seemed to course through her at the sound of her name on his lips. The desire in his voice was unmistakable.

"Are you touching yourself now?" he asked quietly.

"I want to," she admitted. "I've been thinking about you all day."

"I think about you all the time. I don't understand it. We really just met. I mean, we haven't even really met, even, but I can't stop thinking about you. It's dangerous."

Detecting sadness in Seven's voice, Alaura was somewhat sobered. What was she doing? She was so excited to discover the mutual attraction between them, she had forgotten where she was, _why_ she was there. "It is, isn't it?" she said with the same tinge of sadness.

"Alaura, can you please at least tell me… are you safe where you are?"

"Yes," said Alaura. It wasn't completely true, but she didn't want to disrupt Seven's peace of mind any more than she already had.

"That's enough for me," he said, "for now."

A silence stretched between them. Alaura wanted to say something, anything, just so she could keep listening to his voice, but her better judgment held her tongue. They both had good reason to not tempt themselves further.

"I should get back to work," said Seven.

"Will you remember what I said?" Alaura asked, unable to completely mask her desperation.

"I don't know how I'll ever forget."


End file.
